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Growth and Development Rapid growth and the need to increase local growth regulations have become less pressing issues for Orange County residents, as crime and the economy have come to dominate public concerns. Forty-one percent now say their cities and communities have been growing rapidly over the past few years. Twenty-two percent see their localities as growing slowly, while 31 percent say they are unchanged and 6 percent say they are losing population. This year's growth perceptions are the lowest on record. The proportion who see their communities as growing rapidly dropped 13 points from last year and 23 points compared to two years ago. In the 1982 survey, 57 percent perceived rapid growth in their locality. All regions show a rise in the perception that communities are staying the same or losing population. In no region today does a majority see rapid growth, though this perception is more prevalent in the South (47%) and Central County (43%) than in the North (38%) and the West County (35%). Residents under 35 are most likely to say their community is growing rapidly (49%), while those aged 35 to 54 (39%) and 55 or older (33%) are less likely to have this perception. Forty-four percent of residents 55 or older see their communities as staying the same or losing population. Those with incomes under $36,000 are the most likely to say their communities are growing rapidly (49%), while those earning $80,000 or more are the least likely (33%). The 1993 survey finds support for stricter local growth regulations at its lowest level since the 1982 survey. Forty-five percent believe the government regulations in their cities and communities aimed at controlling growth are not strict enough, while 44 percent say they are about right and 11 percent think the local growth controls are too strict. The proportion who say that current regulations in their localities are not strict enough is down 5 points from a year ago, when it was at 50 percent. In the 1991 survey, 57 percent supported tougher growth regulations, thus, support has dropped 12 points in two years. In the 1982 survey, 40 percent had perceived local growth controls as not strict enough. Only in the Central County does a majority perceive local growth controls as not strict enough (52%), while 34 percent say they are about right. In the South County, 42 percent say local controls are not strict enough and 48 percent say they are about right. In the West County, 44 percent say they are not strict enough and 50 percent say they are about right. And in the North County, the same number say that current local growth regulations are not strict enough as say they are about right (44% each). There are no major differences in preferences for stricter local growth regulations by age. Higher-income residents today are the least likely to favor increasing growth controls. Fifty-one percent earning more than $80,000 perceive local growth controls in their area as about right, while only 35 percent say they are not strict enough. In the lower-income groups, residents are equally likely to say local growth regulations are about right as say they are not strict enough (44% to 46%). |
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